It seems that everyone knows the story of the Three Kings. Sent to follow the star in the sky each brought a gift for the baby they sought. One King brought Gold, the other Frankincense and the other Myrrh. Many breweries produce a Christmas Seasonal beer and this is our beer to celebrate the holiday season.

750 ml bottle. Pours an amber orange with a white head that quickly goes to a thin collar.

The aroma is hard to pin down - sweet malts, some bretty yeast, a little fruit and some spices and bubblegum.

The flavor is similar to the aroma. Some sweet sugary/buttery malts, a little acidic yeast, some spices (pepper) and a decent amount of bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation.

This was a gift bottled for my efforts in the Phila Beer Geek competition last Spring. This is a extremely drinkable beer for the heft. I really liked the balance and smoothness. There was a good bit of yeast at the bottem of the bottle but it all went in the glass. I was picking up a tad of citrus on the finish. Very nice beer overall.

Large bottle, caged and corked, 2008 edition. Purchased at Julio's world class beer stop in Massachusetts. Opened with a fairly wimpy "poof" and poured murky medium peach, under a light tan head, that left plenty of fine spots and blobs of lace. Light perfume, a hint of cheesy must and ripe fruit goodness in the nose. The label proclaims this one as a beer de Garde with an addition of Brett. I do get some minor funk notes. Cheese, mold and light horsy whiffs. Resiny dryness in the finish. I like. Complex, mysterious and tasty. Bring out some pungent cheese and grilled foods and enjoy.

Caramel colored with an off-white head with excellent retention and lacing. Somewhat funky aroma, I swear I get a small amount of resinous hops too. Earthy, hay, maybe a touch of funk, but I still get more of the resinous hops in here. I think I get some tastes of lemon and oats too, if that makes sense. Medium bodied with a dry-ish hoppy finish; higher than medium carbonation. A rather different beer, but still quite good.

2008 vintage. The beer pours a brownish-orange color with a white head. The aroma is brett funk, citrus, caramel and pepper. The flavor is more of the same with some nice orange notes mixing with the brett. The brett gives it a little leather flavor and there is also some spicy pepper as well. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Pours a dark auburn with a frothy tan head. Nothing "pale" about this. The head sticks around for quite a while and leaves a thick lacing. Perfume aroma of pepper, wheat, grass, oranges, minerals, and funky wood. Fruity, herbal taste. Dried peaches, more orange peel, some white pepper, apples, and caramel malt make up the taste. In the background, there is a constant herb/mineral/oaky taste which I presume is from the Frankincense and Myrhh, but having never tried those things on their own, I don't know. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic beer.

Prune and dark dried fruit dominate the nose over some dark sugar and molasses aromas. The beer pours deep dark reddish amber and produces a 2” off white finely bubbled foam cap that produced prodigious lace and some legs when the glass is swirled. This big and bold beer hits the palate with creamy dark dried fruits, big malt, spice and dark sugars suggesting dense fruit cake flavors but with all its big boldness it comes across surprisingly light. While the beer leaves a little sugar on the lips at the finish, yeast fruit flavors, alcohol and hops keep the malt in control resulting in a beer with rich complexity that is never cloying or out of balance. It suggests a bourbon drink made with bitters such as an old fashioned or Manhattan. Although you notice a slight warming as you drink the beer, the rich flavors for the most part keep the alcohol hidden.

A dark copper and rust with a thick and tight white soapy head that stays perched atop the glass. Rings of sticky lacing slide down the glass. Beautiful.

A combination of lemon and black pepper in the nose. A bit of of dried apricot and some mild Brett funk as well.

Mild lemon, Brett, and a bit of spice. A bit of sweet fruit and caramel malt but a very mild tasting beer in nearly every regard. The alcohol is hidden extraordinarily well. I still don't believe this is a 10% ABV beer.

The mouthfeel is the star of the show with this beer. Highly carbonated, luscious yet smooth, full and bold yet smooth and easy drinking. Little to no alcohol presence. Impressive.

An easy drinking Biere de Garde with a surprisingly high ABV. A good and interesting effort.

A- This beer pours a golden caramel-brown body with a dense thick light tan head of foam that last and lasts. There is a good carbonation of tiny bubbles that supports the head.

S- This beer has a slightly sweet musty smell that starts as caramel that grows as the beer warms but melds into a bit more of a pineapple aroma with a note of cardamom. It finishes with a nice pine needle hop note that increases in spiciness as the beer warms.

T- This beer has a smooth sweet note that has some caramel qualities to it but is overtaken by a toasted malt flavor. There is a softer earthy flavor that has a minty quality to it along with some peppercorn hints and a bretti tartness. The finish of this beer is a soft piney hop flavor that lingers just a bit.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a full texture on the tongue. There is no alcohol heat noticed until the last sip.

D- This is how spiced winter beers should be. Good solid beer with some mysterious spice qualities that can't be teased apart. All the flavors work well together complimenting each other. They managed to put spice and malt and hops together and it works. I don't know if they used Frankincense and Myrrh but whatever it is its great.

A: Pours a golden bronze, hazy. Maybe a finger worth of light frothy head on the pour with some retention. A few wisps of lacing.

S: There's just a little bit of Brett in there. Held onto this for awhile in hopes that it'd be bigger. Light mustiness and some light fruits. Nice Belgian grain and sweetness.

T/M: Nice Biere de Garde backbone. Brett is about the same as the nose with the light mustiness and some barnyard flavors. The light fruits are a bit bigger in the flavor. Pleasant sweetness. Body is medium or so with healthy enough carbonation.

D: Tasty base beer but I really wish the Brett would have taken hold a little stronger. 9.5% is surprising.